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FLYERS RETURN HOME FOR A SATURDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN AGAINST UMASS
Looking to snap a two-game losing skid, the University of Dayton Flyers will host the Massachusetts Minutemen in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.  The game will be televised locally on WHIO, carried by WHIO Radio and be available with video, stats on Gametracker and streaming audio at DaytonFlyers.com.

Dayton enters the contest 18-9 overall and 7-6 in conference play. The Flyers rank in the NCAA’s Top 40 in rebounding margin (plus-5.8) and scoring defense (61.4 points per game). Chris Wright has been sizzling of late shooting .562 from the floor and averaging 17.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his last six contests. The Flyers have been exceptional at home this season with a 13-1 record and averaging 72.9 points per game. 

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS
The Minutemen are also on a two-game losing skid and enter the game with a 10-17 overall record, 4-9 in Atlantic 10 play. Last week’s Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week, Ricky Harris, averaged 27.4 points over five games from Jan. 30- Feb. 14, shooting 50 percent from the floor. UMass ranks tied for ninth in the NCAA in offensive rebounds per game (15.1) and 11th in total offensive rebounds with 409. The key for the Minutemen will be outside shooting. In UMass’ wins, the Minutemen are shooting .454 percent from the floor overall and .349 from 3-point range. In the UMass losses the Minutemen convert .372 of their field goals and .278 percent from beyond the arc.
 
SERIES STUFF
Massachusetts leads the all-time series 8-7 and have won the previous four meetings, including the last two at UD Arena. Last year Dayton fell 75-65 at UMass despite 13 points from Chris Wright and 10 by Marcus Johnson.

THAT’S A CATCH-22
UD has held opponents to 22 points or less in a half nine times this season. Last year through 35 games, the Flyers accomplished that feat 10 times.

CLOSE SHAVE
What a difference a year makes. The Flyers are 3-6 in games decided by five points or less and have lost six games in the 2010 calendar year. In 2008-09 Dayton was 11-1 in games decided by five points or less, the best record of close games in the nation. The Flyers were also 19-0 last season when leading with five minutes left in regulation. Dayton’s back-to-back one-point losses to St. Joe’s and Rhode Island were just the second time in school history it lost two straight games by a single point (it first happened in Jan. 1975).

TAKE FIVE
Dayton has played its best basketball this season in the final five minutes of regulation, out-scoring its opponents 311-230. The Flyers are shooting 91-of-202 (.450) from the floor, 31-of-88 (.352) from beyond the arc, and 98-of-140 at the free throw line (.700). But defensively, UD is limiting opponents to 59-of-171 shooting (.345), 15-of-65 from three (.231) and have forced 52 turnovers in that span.

CRUNCH TIME
A .665 team from the line on the season, Dayton is shooting .775 (62-80) from the line in the last two minutes of the game in 2009-10. Six Flyers are shooting .750 or better, in crunch time. Chris Johnson is 12-of-12 (1.000), followed by Rob Lowery (.875, 7-of-8), Paul Williams (.833, 15-of-18), Marcus Johnson (.833, 5-of-6), Chris Wright (.800, 8-of-10) and Mickey Perry (.750, 6-of-8).

THE PRICE IS WRIGHT
In the game at Duquesne, Chris Wright became the 42nd player in Flyer history to join the 1,000 career point club. With 1,015 career points, Wright is currently 40th on the all-time list.

DOING IT THE WRIGHT WAY
Junior Chris Wright has shouldered most of the Flyer workload so far this season, leading the team in scoring (14.6 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg), blocks (37), minutes per game (28.1) and dunks (52), while ranking second in field goal percentage (.536, 148-276). He ranks third in the A-10 in field goal percentage, eighth in rebounding and 13th in scoring. Wright has stepped up his level of play against A-10 opponents averaging 15.6 points, 7.4 boards and 2.3 blocks per game.

THE HIT LIST
Chris Wright recorded a career-high 30 points and added nine rebounds in the victory over Charlotte. It has been one of his many memorable performances this season. He scored 28 points on 12-of-20 shooting at Saint Joseph’s. Wright scored 15 points against No. 5/6 Villanova. He came back to record a double-double of 15 points and 10 boards versus Kansas State. In the Towson win, Wright scored 20 points and grabbed nine boards. Against Lehigh he tallied a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Wright led UD with 16 points and 12 rebounds over Old Dominion. His 19 points in the Boston University win came on 8-of-10 shooting. He had his 10th career double-double with 16 and 11 in the Duquesne win. At Fordham, he had 12 points (6-of-9 FG) and eight rebounds. He picked up 14 points and 12 boards versus George Washington. Wright earned the Black-Mac MVP award after scoring 17 points and snagging nine rebounds in the home Xavier contest. Wright scored 16 points and added a season-high three steals at Saint Louis. Wright tallied 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field at Duquesne. Wright tallied a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds versus No. 20/18 Temple.

DAYTON’S WRIGHT NAMED ATLANTIC 10 CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UD’s Chris Wright was named Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week after his 25-point performance, including 18 in the second half, to lead the Flyers to a 90-80 win over Creighton in the season opener.

UD’S WRIGHT NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST
University of Dayton forward Chris Wright was named to the 2009-2010 Preseason Naismith Trophy watch list. The Naismith Trophy is voted on by coaches, administrators and journalists from around the country and is awarded to the nation’s top player.

WRIGHT NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD PRESEASON TOP 50 LIST
UD’s Chris Wright was one of the top college basketball players named to the John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list.

BEST AGAINST THE BCS
With a 43-and-a half inch vertical leap, Chris Wright saves his best efforts for the best competition. Four of his 12 career double-doubles have come against BCS schools, including 13 points and 13 rebounds last November against No. 15 Marquette and a then career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds in the Flyer win over West Virginia in the First Round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. He tallied 15 points and 10 boards against Kansas State in the 2009 Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Against No. 20/18 Temple, Wright had 12 points and 13 boards.

CAMP CONFIDENTIAL
Chris Wright has achieved numerous accolades in his first two years at UD. However, the Trotwood native is on a never-ending quest to improve. He made several trips around the nation for individual training and to play against other top collegians as a counselor at summer camps. Wright worked at LeBron James’ camp in San Diego and in Cleveland matching up against the superstar in nightly pickup games. Wright also participated in the Vince Carter Skills Academy in Orlando.

WRIGHT EARNS FIRST TEAM, ALL-ATLANTIC 10 PRESEASON SELECTION
Junior forward Chris Wright earned a preseason First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection after leading the Flyers to a 27-8 overall record last season.

ON THE ATTACK
Chris Wright’s aggressive approach on offense often puts him on the line. He has attempted almost twice as many free throws than anyone else on the team. Wright has 133 attempted free throws while London Warren has 68. Wright also leads the team in free throws converted (92) and at .692 percent is one of four Flyers shooting 69 percent or better from the line.

THE WRIGHT STUFF
A charismatic player whose work ethic matches his athleticism, it took Chris Wright just eight minutes to become one of the top players in the A-10 Conference. That’s all the league action he saw as a freshman before fracturing his ankle in the A-10 opener. Yet he was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team in 2007-08, and to the Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Second Team in 2008-09.

WRIGHT TO KNOW
The Dayton Flyers are 58-18 overall, 41-1 at home and 6-5 against ranked opponents with Chris Wright in the lineup during his UD career. In fact, he is 61-1 at home over his last four-and-a-half years of organized basketball in high school and college.

NABC FIRST TEAM ALL-DISTRICT SELECTION
Chris Wright was named First Team All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches on March 5, 2009. Wright was the 11th player in UD history and the first Flyer sophomore to be named First Team NABC All-District. Previous first-team selections were Brian Roberts (2008), Tony Stanley (2001), Roosevelt Chapman (1984), Jim Paxson (1979), Don May (1967 & 1968), Henry Finkel (1966), Bill Uhl (1955), Jack Sallee (1954 & 1955), John Horan (1955) and Don Meineke (1952).

THAT FIGURES
Chris Wright has scored in double figures in 33 of his last 38 contests including 12 of his last 13 games. He leads UD this season with 23 games scoring in double figures.

BETTER MAKE THE WRIGHT DECISION
Chris Wright is not just climbing UD’s charts offensively, but defensively as well. Wright has 95 career blocks, ranking fifth on the Flyer all-time list. Mark Ashman is next up on the list with 96 career blocks. His career average of 1.2 blocks per game would also rank first on Dayton’s all-time list. Wright has 15 blocks in the last seven games.

DUNK TANK
After just 75 games in a Flyer uniform, Chris Wright is Dayton’s all-time dunk leader with 121 career dunks, breaking Charles Little’s career record of 102. Wright needs three slams to eclipse his single-season record of 54 set last year.

MARVELOUS MARCUS
Senior Marcus Johnson has played through injuries this season, first injuring his wrist while being fouled on a dunk against Villanova (a play that made SportsCenter’s Top Ten) and then suffering a sprained left foot/ankle in the Appalachian State win. Since conference play began, Johnson has been solid averaging 8.9 points and shooting 48 percent from the floor. Johnson opened the year with 13 points against Creighton. Johnson tallied a 14-point performance versus Kansas State. Johnson scored 12 points and dished out five assists in the win over Towson. Johnson scored 12 points against Old Dominion and 11 versus Duquesne. He scored a season-high 17 points at Xavier and added 13 points and six rebounds versus George Washington. Johnson tallied 11 points and eight boards at St. Bonaventure. Johnson added 13 points and five boards against Charlotte. He recorded 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and a SportsCenter Top Ten play versus La Salle.

JOHNSON NABS PRESEASON ALL-ATLANTIC 10 SECOND TEAM SELECTION
Earlier this year, senior Marcus Johnson earned a spot on the preseason All-Atlantic 10 Second Team. Last season Johnson was named to the Honorable Mention team and was named the co-winner of the White Allen MVP award.

MORE ON MJ
Marcus Johnson has moved up the charts in UD basketball history, ranking 31st on the all-time scoring list at 1,160 career points. Johnson needs 14 points to reach Frank Case for 30th. MJ joined the 1,000 point club at Miami.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Marcus Johnson, a 6-3 guard from Cleveland, has scored in double figures 54 times in his 125-game career. Johnson reached double figures 26 times during the 2008-09 season, which led the team. This season Johnson has scored in double figures 11 times and in seven of his last 13 games. The Flyers are 9-2 this season when he scores in double-figures.

BEING `KURT’ TO THE OPPOSITION
“The Professional” Kurt Huelsman continues to serve as a leader on both ends of the floor. After scoring five points in the season’s first three games, Huelsman scored six points in the Towson win and followed it up with seven points and seven rebounds at Miami. Huelsman had three blocks and five boards against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. At Xavier, he had five points and four blocked shots. Against Rhode Island, Huelsman had season highs in points (10) and rebounds (9). Huelsman came back to record nine points and seven boards at St. Bonaventure. Huelsman then added 10 points on a career-best six free throws and six boards at Duquesne. Huelsman snagged seven rebounds at No. 20/18 Temple. He ranks fifth on the team in FG% (.475 38-80). He ranks ninth on UD’s all-time blocked shots list with 67. Keith Waleskowski is next with 70.

THE IRON MAN
Kurt Huelsman and London Warren set the school record for consecutive games played on Feb. 21 when the Flyers played Duquesne. Earlier this year, Huelsman took sole possession of the UD record for consecutive career starts previously held by Mark Ashman’s 119. Huelsman’s 127 consecutive starts is the most in the Atlantic 10. Nate Green holds the Dayton all-time record for games played with 133.

LONG-LASTING FRESHNESS 
Kurt Huelsman has started every one of his 127 career games at UD. In less than four seasons, UD has won 87 with Huelsman in the starting lineup. Clemson’s Trevor Booker and Oakland’s Johnathan Jones have started every game of their college career and more than Huelsman. Through Feb.25, Texas’ Damion James is the active career leader with 134. Tulsa’s Ben Uzoh is next with 133. Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds is next with 131, followed by Jones (130), Booker (129) and Huelsman (127).

HUELSMAN NAMED ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Dayton’s Kurt Huelsman was named a First Team University Division ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV earlier this year. A senior from St. Henry, Ohio, Huelsman is an Operations Management major. Huelsman is a two-time team captain, UD Best Defender Award recipient and Macbeth Scholar-Athlete Award winner. He is also a three-year member of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

DAYTON’S WARREN A CANDIDATE FOR 2010 COUSY AWARD
University of Dayton senior guard London Warren was selected as one of 73 candidates for the 2010 Bob Cousy Award, an honor that goes annually to the top point guard in college basketball. Warren has quarterbacked the Flyers to a 18-9 record and leads the team in assists (4.1). Warren ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 in assists per game and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8).

LONDON CALLING
Known as the “Jacksonville Jet,” London Warren, along with Kurt Huelsman, hold the Flyer record for consecutive games played (127). Warren leads the Flyers in assists (4.1), steals (35) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8). He was named to the 2009 Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team. Warren dished out eight assists and hauled in five boards against Creighton. He added five points, four assists and three rebounds against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. He recorded five rebounds and three assists against Kansas State. Warren recorded five rebounds and four assists versus Old Dominion. He dished out five assists and picked up three steals versus Presbyterian. In the BU win, he had nine assists and two steals. Against Ball State, Warren had seven assists and one turnover. Warren scored seven points and dished out six assists versus GW. At Saint Joseph’s, Warren recorded six points, nine rebounds and four assists. Against Rhode Island, Warren had a season-high 12 points (5-7 FG) and a career-high five steals. At St. Bonaventure, he scored 11 points and he added seven points versus Xavier. In the La Salle win, Warren had six assists with zero turnovers. He added another six assists at Duquesne and five rebounds at No. 20/18 Temple.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Named to the 2009 preseason Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team, London Warren’s defense provides a huge spark for the Flyers. Last season, Warren had at least one steal in 29 out of 34 games, including three against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. Warren led UD in steals (55) and assists (145).Warren has 164 steals in his Flyer career, good for fifth all-time in UD history. Derrick Dukes is next with 166 and Jim Paxson is third at 168.

THE JACKSONVILLE JET
Last season London Warren’s 2.33 assist-to-turnover ratio was tied for fifth-best in the program’s history. Speaking of program history, Warren has 410 career assists, putting him ninth on the Dayton’s all-time list. Larry Schellenberg is next at 465 assists.

RL BACK FROM THE DL
Ten months after surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, Rob Lowery returned by playing eight minutes, scoring eight points on 3-for-3 shooting from the floor, had three assists and a steal against Lehigh. Less than a month after that, he scored a career-high 23 points (8-10 FG, 7-9 three-pointers) in the win over Boston University. Lowery scored 16 points versus Xavier and dished out five assists. He had seven points, six assists and just one turnover in 22 minutes in the App State win. At Xavier, Lowery had 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists (with no turnovers) and two steals. Lowery picked up a career-best five steals at Saint Joseph’s. Lowery dished out four assists with zero turnovers against Charlotte. He scored seven points at No. 20/18 Temple. Dayton is 36-10 all-time with Lowery in the lineup. Lowery ranks second on the team in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6) and is fourth in scoring (6.9 ppg.).

HEY MICKEY
In conference play, Mickey Perry is averaging 5.0 points and is shooting .400 from the field. Perry matched his career-high of 15 points in two straight games (Presbyterian and Appalachian State), going a combined 11-of-11 at the free throw line in those games. Earlier in the year, Perry had a 10-point effort against No. 5/6 Villanova. He dished out a career-best six assists at Miami. Perry scored 11 against George Washington and seven versus Xavier on 3-of-4 shooting from the field.

OH MICKEY YOU’RE SO FINE
Mickey Perry ranks fifth on the team in scoring at 5.9 points per game, ranks third in 3-pt. field goal percentage (.347) and assists (51). In 14 home games this season, Perry averages 7.3 points.

DIAL IN WITH DEVIN
Junior forward Devin Searcy has been deadly from the field this season for UD. He leads the team in field goal percentage, converting 44-of-80 (.550) from the floor. At Saint Louis, Searcy scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor and added five rebounds. Against Lehigh, Searcy shot 5-for-5 from the floor and finished with 13 points. He started off this season shooting 3-of-3 from the field in the win over Creighton. Searcy chipped in with six points and three rebounds at George Mason. He added six points against Boston University, with seven and seven in the Ball State win. Searcy tallied nine points and six rebounds at St. Bonaventure. He hauled in a career-high eight rebounds in the home game against Xavier. Searcy is averaging 6.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in his last seven contests.

CHRIS-CROSSING
Sophomore Chris Johnson has raised his level of play in league action (12.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and is 10th in the A-10 in rebounding. He had 21 points (5-10 3-pt.) with eight rebounds and three steals at New Mexico, and then bettered that with career-highs of 26 points and 20 rebounds in the Duquesne win. He was named A-10 co-Player of the Week after his 20-20 game.

WARM IT UP CHRIS
Chris Johnson leads the team in FT% (.846, 55-65) and is second in scoring (12.5), rebounding (7.3), 3-pt. FG% (.366 49-134) and steals (24). He scored in double-figures in the season’s first eight games, and after a five-point, six-rebound effort in the ODU win, he suffered a concussion in the first minute of the Presbyterian game. He sat out the App State game, and made an impressive return to action in the Boston U win. He scored 12 points in 16 minutes, going 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 from the line. At Xavier he scored 10 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, including 10 off the offensive glass. He started off the season with an explosive 18-point, 15-rebound performance in the opener against Creighton. Johnson then led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added seven boards in the victory over No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. Johnson then tallied 13 points versus No. 5/6 Villanova. Johnson led UD with 12 points at St. Bonaventure and 18 points in the home win over Xavier. Johnson scored 14 points behind 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range versus Charlotte. At Saint Louis he added eight points and 12 rebounds. Johnson led all scorers with 21 points after sinking a career-best six three-pointers.

20-20 VISION
There have been just seven 20-20 games turned in by a Dayton player at UD Arena since the Arena opened in 1969. Ken May, George Janky, Tom Crosswhite, J.D. Grigsby, Joe Fisher, Ryan Perryman all did it prior to Chris Johnson, but Johnson’s is only the second in the last 35 years. (Grigsby is teammate Chris Wright’s uncle). It was the first 20-20 game this season by any Atlantic 10 player. Johnson is also only the third player in Division I to score at least 25 points and grab 20 rebounds this season. Artsiom Parakhouski of Radford and Jamine Peterson of Providence are the other two.

P-DUBYA
Sophomore Paul Williams had his best game of the season in the win over No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. Williams scored seven of his 13 points in the final minute to help UD to the victory. He nearly matched that performance hitting a 3-pointer with 31 seconds to seal the comeback win against Towson. Williams scored 10 points versus Kansas State. Against Presbyterian, Williams snagged a career-best eight rebounds, and followed that up with 10 points and seven rebounds in against App State. Williams tallied seven points in the home Xavier game. He added five rebounds versus Charlotte. Williams added five points and five rebounds at Saint Louis. Williams netted 12 at Duquesne. In his UD career, the Flyers are 16-8 when Williams sinks a 3-point shot.

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
Paul Williams is shooting 15-for-18 in the final two minutes of the game at the free throw line this season. In the other 38 minutes of regulation, he is 6-for-10. Williams ranks second on the team in free throw percentage (.750, 21-28).

COOL HAND LUKE
Luke Fabrizius returned from a back injury in UD’s last game at Duquesne. Fabrizius has missed nine games with a right knee and low back injury. At Fordham, he led UD with 13 points (3-3 3-pt. FG) in 10 minutes. Early in the year, he netted a season-high of 16 points and career-high of nine rebounds versus No. 5/6 Villanova. Fabrizius netted nine points in the win over Creighton. He came back to hit four 3-pointers en route to 12 points against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. Averaging 6.0 points per game this season, Fabrizius is shooting better from outside the arc 28-of-63 (.444) than his overall 32-of-80 (.400). In A-10 play, he has made 8-of-19 three-pointers.

BENSON’S BACK
Josh Benson is chipping in at almost every opportunity on the floor. Against Presbyterian he tallied a season-best 10 points with seven rebounds, and then came back with four and a season-high eight rebounds in the App State win. He also scored seven points against BU. With Chris Wright saddled with foul trouble at Xavier, Benson came through with eight points and three assists (six and three in the first half). Benson tallied five points and four rebounds at Saint Louis. He came back to score nine points in 11 minutes against La Salle.

WELCOME MATT
With only one scholarship available, University of Dayton men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory and his staff landed their third top local product in as many years when Centerville High School star Matt Kavanaugh signed his letter of intent to attend UD and play basketball for the Flyers. Kavanaugh made his first collegiate appearance against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. He tallied his first collegiate career rebound versus Kansas State. Kavanaugh corralled two offensive rebounds against Lehigh. He scored his first career collegiate point versus Presbyterian, and scored another bucket in the Ball State win. Kavanaugh added a defensive rebound versus Xavier and an offensive board versus Charlotte. Kavanaugh tallied two points and three boards at Saint Louis.

PARKER TRANSFERS TO DAYTON
In April 2009, guard Josh Parker transferred to the University of Dayton from Drake University. Parker, a 6-0 guard who graduated in 2007 from Thornton High School in suburban Chicago, has already begun classes and will redshirt the 2009-10 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Parker appeared in 33 games last season for Drake. He averaged 10.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 rebounds, while shooting .432 (57-132) from 3-point range and .720 (67-93) from the free throw line. He was third on the team in scoring, and led the team in 3-pt. FG%.

ANSWERING THE BELL
The Dayton basketball staff has incorporated boxing to hammer home their lessons to the Flyers. In evaluations, they break each game into 10 four-minute rounds, with the goal of winning as many “rounds” as they can. This fall, the team worked out one day a week at Drake’s Gym, an old-school boxing gym in downtown Dayton. But before the Xavier win on Feb. 6, head coach Brian Gregory took it to a new level. With the team gathered in the locker room for final instructions prior to taking the court, Gregory suddenly appeared in front of the team wearing a long, hooded red-and-white fight robe and boxing gloves. He began firing off volleys of punches at each player as he bobbed to LL Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out.’ Gregory’s move both fired up and relaxed the Flyers, leading to the convincing 25-point win.

INSIDE THE RPI
Dayton has quality Top 100 RPI victories versus Georgia Tech, Xavier, Charlotte, Duquesne and Old Dominion and road victories against George Mason and Miami. Six of UD’s nine losses are to Top 50 opponents and eight are against Top 100 teams.

STEAL OF A DEAL
During the 2009-10 season the Flyers are averaging 6.2 steals per game. Last year Dayton’s 6.49 steals per game was UD’s best average in 17 years and ranked as the fifth-best steal-per-game average in school history. UD opened the 2009-10 season with four swipes against Creighton and had eight against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. At George Mason, UD made 10 steals. The Flyers matched that with 10 at New Mexico. Seven of Musketeers’ eight turnovers came via steals at Xavier. At St. Joe’s the Flyers had nine steals, five by Rob Lowery. Dayton had seven different players collect one steal versus Charlotte. Dayton had a season-high 11 steals versus La Salle.

ARENA ROCK
The Flyers are 47-3 (.939) in the last three seasons at UD Arena. UD had a school-record 30-game home-court winning streak snapped earlier this year by Rhode Island.

HOME SWEET HOME
Over the last four years on Tom Blackburn Court, the Flyers are 61-6. The 61 victories are the eighth-most in the NCAA since the 2006-07 season. Just ahead of UD are Kansas (73), Ohio State and Florida (65), Pittsburgh and UNLV (64), Syracuse (63) and Texas A&M (62). UD has started at home 10-0 for the last four seasons. Dayton won its 500th game at UD Arena on Dec. 29 and is 505-182 in 40 seasons at the Arena. The Flyers have a home all-time winning percentage of .781 (762-214).

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Dayton’s 18 victories last season at UD Arena set the program record for home wins and eclipsed the old mark set by the 2002-03 team that went 17-1 and the 1977-78 squad that went 17-3. Only two other Flyer squads, the 1949-50 team at the Fairgrounds Coliseum (16-0) and the 1959-60 squad in the UD Fieldhouse (14-0), ever also went unbeaten at home.

DAYTON SIGNS TOP RECRUITING CLASS OF STATEN, HILL, BERRY, SPEARMAN, & OLIVER
University of Dayton men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory and his staff continue to stockpile strong, incoming talent, as another exceptionally talented recruiting class signed National Letters of Intent last fall to continue their careers at UD. The newest official members of the Flyer family are 6-foot-1 guard Jesse Berry of Lafayette (Ind.) Jefferson High School, 6-foot-6 forward Ralph Hill of Westerville (Ohio) North High School, 6-foot-7 forward Devin Oliver of Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central High School, 6-foot-3 guard Brandon Spearman of Chicago Simeon High School, and 5-foot-11 guard Juwan Staten from Dayton, Ohio who attends powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. Headlined by Staten, who Rivals.com has ranked the 44th-best player in his class, the 2009-10 signing class is ranked as high as 15th in the country.

ELITE COMPANY
Dayton coach Brian Gregory became just the fourth coach in Flyer basketball history to record 100 career victories when the Flyers defeated Delaware State on Nov. 18, 2008. Gregory joined Don Donoher, Tom Blackburn and Oliver Purnell as the only Dayton coaches to reach the 100-win plateau. Gregory reached 100 wins faster than any Dayton coach except the two icons of Flyer basketball: Donoher and Blackburn.

THIRD IS THE WORD
Dayton has hit at least one 3-point shot in 40 straight games.

LESS IS MORE
Dayton is 1-6 this season away from UD Arena when shooting 20 or more 3-pointers in a game and have lost its last six. Overall, Dayton is 10-3 when attempting less than 20 three-pointers this season, and 8-6 when shooting 20 or more.

WELCOME TO FLIGHT CLUB  
Dayton set a new single-season record for dunks just 19 games into the 2008-09 season. The Flyers’ total of 117 was 56 more than the 61 slams performed by the 2003-04 team in 33 games. This season UD has 91 dunks through the first 27 games with Chris Wright (52) leading the way followed by Marcus Johnson (13), Josh Benson and Devin Searcy (8), Chris Johnson (7), London Warren (2) and Kurt Huelsman (1). UD’s eight dunks in the Boston U win were one off the single-game record, as were Wright’s five. Wright had 54 slams in 2008-09.

FILLING UP THE STAT SHEET
Dayton has shown early on that their offense is not a one-man show. Eight Flyers, Chris Wright, Luke Fabrizius, Mickey Perry, Rob Lowery, Chris Johnson, Marcus Johnson, Devin Searcy and London Warren each have led the team in scoring this season. Wright has led 12 times, Chris Johnson nine times, Marcus Johnson, Perry and Fabrizius twice, and Searcy, Lowery and Warren once. In rebounding, Wright has led the team 13 times, Chris Johnson nine times, Kurt Huelsman, Marcus Johnson twice and Paul Williams, Josh Benson, London Warren, Devin Searcy and Fabrizius once apiece. (Note: scoring and rebounding numbers add up to more than 26 due to games where more than one player tied for the team-high).

EYE 75 ON THE SCOREBOARD
UD is 42-6 under Brian Gregory when scoring at least 75 points. Dayton is 6-1 this year and was 7-1 last season.

THE ROUND MOUND OF REBOUND
This season UD is 15-5 when out-rebounding the opponent and have a plus-6.9 rebounding margin in the 18 victories this season. In conference play, UD is out-rebounding opponents by 7.9, almost two rebounds more than Temple and Xavier (5.7).

SPARK OFF THE BENCH
With such a deep team, it is no surprise UD’s bench was a big part of the team’s success. UD non-starters have won the battle of the benches 17 times in 2009-10. UD held a 42-27 advantage in bench scoring against Creighton. The Flyers then out-scored No. 21/19 Georgia Tech’s bench 47-24. Against No. 5/6 Villanova, UD’s bench out-scored the Wildcats 39-25. In the K-State contest, UD held a 35-20 bench scoring advantage. Against Presbyterian, UD held a 43-16 bench scoring edge. In the BU win, it was 48-16. At New Mexico, it was 31-7. Dayton dominated with a 37-6 advantage in the home Xavier game. UD dominated in bench points over La Salle with a 42-15 edge. This year the Flyer bench has out-scored opponents 773-478.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
This season 19 of the opponents’ top individual scorers have been held under their average, including Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds (8), Temple’s Ryan Brooks (11), Georgia Tech’s Gani Lawal (9) and Derrick Favors (10), George Mason’s Cam Long (8), Duquesne’s Bill Clark (2) and GW’s Damian Hollis (5). Dayton ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense (61.4) and field goal percentage defense (.394).

QUALITY OF COMPETITION
Dayton’s nine losses are by a total of 35 points. UD’s three non-conference losses are all by single-digit margins to No. 3 Villanova, No. 11 Kansas State, and No. 19 New Mexico. The Flyers’ five league losses are by a total of 19 points. Each loss was a one-or-two possession game in the final minute.

EARLY SEASON TESTS
The Dayton-Creighton game was the nation’s only season-opener that features two teams that received votes in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll. Dayton was ranked 22nd in the preseason poll, while Creighton received seven votes. UD’s next game against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech featured the first time during the 2009-10 season two ranked opponents squared off against each other.

CONQUERING GOLIATH
The Flyers have proved they can handle the big-name programs. Dayton is 7-4 in the last three years against BCS programs and has won three of its last four games against the Big East.

HEAD OF THE CLASS
UD’s seniors, the Class of 2010, tied the best mark in UD history for wins in their first three seasons on campus. The Flyers’ 69 wins from 2007-09 tied the freshman-sophomore-junior wins by the Class of 1955 and the Class of 2005. The 69 wins are also the third-best three-year period, regardless of class year, in school history. Dayton won 79 games between 1949 and 1952, and 75 games between 1953 and 1956. UD’s Class of 2010 is also the first class in school history to go undefeated at home against non-conference opponents.

TAKING THE NATIONAL STAGE
To start the 2009-10 campaign the Flyers were nationally ranked in a major poll for the first time since the 1967-68 season. With UD being ranked at some point in each of the last three seasons, it is also the first time in 49 years the Flyers have been ranked in three consecutive seasons. The last time that happened was the 1958-59, 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons.

SOMETIMES IT’S WHO YOU KNOW
Dayton is 281-202 all-time against teams currently in the Atlantic 10 Conference. In 14 plus years as an A-10 team, the Flyers are 133-96. UD coach Brian Gregory is 62-47 against A-10 competition. 

FLYER GARDEN PARTY
UD’s 74-58 win over Fordham on Jan. 13 was Dayton’s first appearance at Madison Square Garden since 1991. UD has a 38-24 all-time record at the Garden. The Flyers’ 38 wins at the Garden are tied with Duke for the most victories of any non-New York metropolitan area school. 

GREGORY’S CONTRACT TO RUN THROUGH 2018
University of Dayton Vice President and Director of Athletics Tim Wabler announced in May that the University has extended head men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory’s contract for an additional five years, and that it will run through the 2017-18 season. Since taking over as UD’s head coach in 2003, Gregory has a record of 138-72. His original contract term was five years. He signed a new agreement in 2005 that originally ran through 2013. He is one of just 25 coaches who have been at their current school at least five years. That list includes Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, UConn’s Jim Calhoun, Florida’s Billy Donovan, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Duke’s Mike Kryzewski, Louisville’s Rick Pitino, KU’s Bill Self, Maryland’s Gary Williams and UNC’s Roy Williams, average at least 20 wins a season.

AND THE CROWD GOES WILD
The eight-millionth UD fan in UD Arena history attended the Presbyterian game. UD’s last 165 regular season home games have had attendance of at least 11,000 fans. In the last 14 years, 99% of UD’s home games have drawn at least 10,000 (403 of 406), including the last 202 regular season games. The last 21 have drawn at least 12,000.

THE FLYER FAITHFUL
For years, UD has claimed it has had the best fans in the nation. In 2001, The Sporting News conducted an unscientific poll of college basketball coaches, media and SIDs. In the Jan. 8, 2001 issue of the magazine, UD’s fans were tabbed as college basketball’s best. And they prove it to everyone the Flyers play. In 2007-08 UD had the second-best average home attendance in school history (12,801). UD Arena has 93 sellouts in its 40-year history. UD sold out the opener against Creighton, the Appalachian State game, Boston U and Duquesne game, and against Xavier. The record for sellouts is eight in the Arena’s first season 1969-70. The Flyers are currently averaging 12,981 fans a game this season.

UD AMONG THE BEST IN NCAA ATTENDANCE
The University of Dayton finished in the Top 30 in men’s basketball attendance for the 14th straight season in 2008-09. The Flyers led the Atlantic 10 in attendance for the 12th straight season. UD averaged more than 2,400 fans a game better than any other team in the conference.

ON THE HORIZON
The UD men’s basketball program is on pace to set an attendance record this season. The Flyers have averaged 12,981 fans per game, slightly below than the all-time mark of 12,982 set during the first season at UD Arena in 1969-70. If UD doesn’t sell another ticket, the average will jump to more than 13,000 for the season, providing the students claim their regular allotment of 1,200 each game.

TOURNEY TOWN
The NCAA Division I Tournament made its start at UD Arena for the eighth year in a row as the University of Dayton Arena host the NCAA Opening Round Game in 2009. This year the UD Arena will serve as a regional site for the 2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. Dayton will host the Opening Round through 2013 and will have the First and Second rounds in 2013. UD has hosted the Opening Round game since its inception in its current form in 2002. When the 2010 NCAA Tournament is over, UD Arena will have been an NCAA site in 24 of the last 41 years and will have hosted 87 NCAA Tournament games. It makes UD Arena the most prolific NCAA Tournament venue ahead of Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City (83) and the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City (81).

NCAA TOURNAMENT RETURNING TO UD ARENA THROUGH 2013
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced preliminary round sites for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championships, and the tournament is returning to the University of Dayton Arena in each of those years. The NCAA First and Second Rounds will come back to Dayton in 2013. In addition, the NCAA Opening Round Game will remain at UD Arena through the 2013 tournament.

DAYTON AMONG TOP 10 IN NCAA GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE
The University of Dayton’s 94 percent Graduation Success Rate is second in the Atlantic 10 Conference and ties it for 22nd in the NCAA. In addition, this year’s GSR Report shows that UD graduated 100 percent of its student-athletes that participated in women’s basketball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country/track & field, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s rowing, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and volleyball. The UD’s men’s basketball team’s GSR was the best in the A-10.

DID YOU KNOW?
UD won more games than any other school in both the 1950s and `60s. UD won 435 games between 1950 and 1969 and ranks among the top teams of the 1950s and 1960s in Division I history. The Flyers’ .763 (228-71) winning percentage in the 1950s ranks fifth in the decade. Their .729 (207-77) winning percentage ranks eighth in the 1960s.